Enter: The Medicine Peddler
by ClairieChan
Summary: When Kagome Higurashi meets a strange man in the forest who she only knows as the Medicine Seller, strange things come to light. The Shikon jewel and even Inuyasha's life may be lost. Kagome will have to overcome the strongest, most unorthodox foe she has ever faced, and unlock the powers of the priestess even Kikyo could not unleash.
1. Chapter One: The Riverside

Kagome sat at the edge of the cool water, the bed of rocks beneath her were smooth against her skin, she traced one with her toe as she leaned back, letting the water's soft tide wash over her body bathing in the river was refreshing, she took a deep breath and smiled. She could feel small sapling growing from the river's mailable underbelly, small roots caressed her feel.

"Look out Kagome! Inuyasha's tryin' to sneak a peek!" She heard Shippo yell through the bushes behind her. "What do you think you're doing! I-"

"Sit boy!" Kagome screeched, the sounds of snapping branches and splashing water followed. Kagome blinked as the red blur fell into her lap. Inuyasha laid there, motionless for a moment, dazed from falling out of the tree. He looked up to see Kagome, her face twisted into a look of anger he had never seen before. In one switch movement, her hand was on his cheek, the pain shot through his skull like an arrow and left his face throbbing. Kagome pulled herself out of the river. She had hung a towel from one of the tree branches that Inuyasha had broken on his fall, she plucked it from the pile of broken wood and wrapped it around herself as quickly as she could manage. Inuyasha stared up at her, his clothes soaked through with river water. She stood still for a moment, Her wet hair covered her eyes, yet Inuyasha could still see the shades of red peeking out from her cheeks. He knew what was coming.

"Kagome, wait, I-"

"Sit boy! Sit boy! Sit boy! Sit boy!" She yelled over and over again for what seemed like forever as Inuyashas body slammed into the rock bedding of the river. After some time, she stormed off into the darkness of the forest, ignoring the concerned looks as she passed Miroku and Sango, even Shippo knew not to follow her. Inuyasha laid motionless in the hole his broken body had made.

"Perverted jerk! How could he!" She fumed to herself as she walked on. "If I had my bow, I'd pin him to that tree! Ugh!" She stopped, balling her fists in frustration, the embarrassment made small tears form and fall down her cheeks. She unballed her fist and wiped them away.

"Inuyasha, you-" Her voice broke off as more tears fell. She tried to tell herself how silly it was to cry over something like that, but her face was hot, and the thought of Inuyasha watching was too much for her to stop.

"Ugh. . I shouldn't be crying over that jerk! Who cares what he saw!" She told herself. It was only when she opened her eyes that she realized she was lost. It hadn't seemed like she walked very far at all, but the path was gone, and trees surrounded her in unrecognisable clutter. Kagome sigh, "Just great. . "

She sat at the base of a tree and hugged her knees. She didn't like being lost, even more so at night. And that add insult to injury, she had stormed off without her clothes.

She sat there, thinking of what to do. She couldn't call for Inuyasha, not after what he'd done. And everyone else knew, too. "That'd be too embarrassing. . "

Suddenly, the strong sense of jewel shards came to her, the strongest she'd ever had. her heart began to race as she sensed whatever had them coming closer, slowly, but surely, coming closer.


	2. Chapter Two: The Medicine Seller

She sat there, frozen. She didn't have her arrows, and she didn't know where she was. If she ran, it might hear her, and even if it didn't, where would she run to? She tried calming herself down, petting her hand against her chest and slowing her racing heart, "It might just be Inuyasha, he might be looking for me." But the fear lingered. What could she do? She had to do something, she couldn't just sit and wait for whatever was coming.

Just as she jumped to her feet, something off to her left moved, a slow rustling in the bushes, snapping twigs. Her heart swelled and she jumped behind the tree she had been sitting under. Kagome tried to calm herself as a brightly colored figure emerged from the brush.

A thin man, dressed in blue with his messy blond hair loosely pulled back under a purple bandana. He looked strange, it wasn't the red markings brushed under his eyes, or even the large box he carried strapped to his shoulders, it was his aura. He was overflowing with spiritual energy, but it was separate from the influence of the jewel shards. Something wasn't right.

"Excuse me, miss." The man said, then paused to glance in her direction, "You have no need to hide from me, I am a simple medicine seller." His voice was warm, almost understanding.

Kagome leaned out from behind the tree, the man smiled at her, the purple of his lips curving slightly. She stepped away to face him, her body turning cold. "A medicine seller? What are you doing out here at night?" Her fear turned to curiosity.

"I seem to be lost, would you happen to know where to nearest village might be?"

"I- Well. . You see, I'm sort of lost, too." She shrugged, laughing briefly.

"I see. Hmm." He turned his gaze to the sky, his smile unfading, "It looks like it might rain today, you may want to cloth yourself."

Kagome blinked in confusion. Looking down to see the towel at her feet, she stared for a moment, unable to process what was happening. She then let out a howl of embarrassment, kneeling and covering herself with the towel once more. When she looked up again, the man was gone. She let out a loud sigh, "How many times is this going to happen?! This is getting ridiculous!"

She wrapped the towel around her body tight and began walking, sooner or later she was bound to reach the village, or the medicine man, anyone but Inuyasha.


	3. Chapter Three: The Sphere of Misfortune

Once Inuyasha managed to drag himself out of the water, he collapsed into the ground, exhausted and aching all over, he rested his stinging face on the soft grass. The words 'Sit boy,' replaying in his head over and over, 'Sit boy, sit boy, sit boy!'

Without saying a word, he pulled himself to his feet. The front of his body felt tender. He ignored the pain and began taking small, agonizing steps. "Shippo! Get over here!"

He yelled out. He heard the little fox beginning to whine. "Wh-What'd I do? You were the one spying on Kagome!"

Miroku and sango sat near by, Kilala purring against Sango's soft petting.

"He's right, you shouldn't have been up there Inuyasha, what was she supposed to think Seeing you there while she was bathing." Sango said, her indifferent tone agitated Inuyasha and he lowered his eye brows, "I told you! I smelled something! I was going to see what it was! I wasn't even looking at her! How was I supposed to know she was taking a bath anyway! It's not like she tells me anything!"

Miroku chuckled and Inuyasha glared at him, "Shut up! Who are you to judge, monk!"

Shippo hide behind Miroku, peeking out to stick his tongue out at Inuyasha "Nnn!"

"Why you-" Inuyasha stared, but stopped short.

"What is it Inuyasha?" Sango stared at him as she looked to the sky and sniffed the air.

"I-I smell. . The Shitoshin. . I smell Kyora!"

"What?! How si that possible? Wasn't Kyora killed by Sesshomaru?" Miroku said, his eyes widening with disbelief.

"Yea, well, I guess he didn't finish the job! I can feel it, it's stronger than before."

He paused to look at the bow and arrow lying next to the school uniform Kagome had left.

"We have to find Kagome!" Inuyasha said before running into the forest, Sango, Miroku and Shippo not far behind on Kilala.


	4. Chapter Four: A Stranger In The Village

"A half demon. Interesting." The medicine seller smiled to the sky.

He griped the straps around his shoulders and re-positioned the crate against his back as he entered the village. Villagers turned to stare at him, their faces a mixture of fear and confusion. Mother's silenced their children as they asked about him.

"Why does he wear such odd clothing?" "Look! His ears!" He heard them whispering to each other as they pretended to apply themselves to their children and work.

He sighed, smiling to himself, 'There is much work to be done,' The medicine seller thought. He came to a hut near the edge of the village, drew the curtain in the doorway aside and stepped in.

Kaede sat inside, tending to a farmer's swollen hand. "Add these herbs every night, ye hand will cease it's swelling and heal." She told him as she s\handed him a pouch. She sent the man on his way as she noticed the Medicine seller, standing beside teh doorway.

The old woman eyed him warily, and asked him to sit.

The medicine seller sat his crate down, then proceeded to oblige Kaede's request.

"Who are ye?" She asked him. His appearance was odd, but his features would attest him being a demon, Kaede noted. What strangely colored hair.

He spoke warmly, his calm eyes glistening at her question. "I am but a medicine peddler, as it seems you are the village priestess, I came to offer my services." He glanced at his crate.

"Services?" Kaede could not imagine this unorthodox man offering help to humans, yet, there he was. She could not deny, the uneasy feeling she had seemed familiar, somehow.

"I bring herbs from the east mountains, perhaps they could help you in your.." He paused, his look seemed unsettling, and slightly ominous to Kaede, "Endeavors."

"Perhaps." She told him. When eh brought the crate closer, Kaede gasped. Her eye narrowing with fear. "What are ye?! Why do ye smell of The Dark Priestess Tsubaki?!" She rose to her feet.

"Ah- I see why you might be fearful." He said, pulling open one of the crates several drawers, "But I can assure you, none of these items will harm you." Inside were small wooden boxes filled with ground leaves, dried berries and several smaller viles of what looked to be soot.

"Tell me, what ties do ye have with The Dark Priestess?" She demanded. Making a mental note of where her bow and arrows were.


	5. Chapter Five: Where Is Inuyasha?

The sun had been rising when Kagome met the strange man and it was beginning to get warm when she finally reached the village. Some of the village women asked her where her clothes were, she laughed a little and told her she was so forgetful, she forgot them while she was bathing. They told her that dog demon of hers was terrible to let her go walking alone like that. She didn't say anything about Inuyasha, and instead asked if Kaede was at the shrine. A lot of them looked nervous and told her that a strange-looking man had arrived earlier and gone to see her.

A sense of urgency overtook her and she pushed herself to Kaede's shack as quickly as she could. From the entrance, she heard Kaede commenting thoughtfully.

"I see. How did ye come to be in possession of such a dark tool?"

The voice of the medicine seller was unmistakable, kind and calm, just as it was when she'd met him, "Aha- That is. . A long story." She heard the dull sound of a bell, metal against metal making soft clanking, then the medicine seller spoke again.

"And this. . ." His voice trailed off into a whisper, followed by Kaede saying something under her breath. He chuckled. Kagome blinked, her fingernails digging into the towel around her as she held it close. The medicine seller continued, "There seems to be a misguided spirit.." He trailed off again and Kagome's frustration grew, she leaned as close to the opening of Kaede's hut as she could without alerting them of her presence and tried concentrating harder on what was being said. "Lady Kikyo's soul. . . Craving another.." Kaede said something she couldn't understand, then The medicine man spoke again, "Oh, I see. . Shall I let her in?"

There was silence, then the curtain was drawn back. The medicine seller stood inches from Kagome's face, Kaede stared at them from behind the medicine sellers large crate, sliding a drawer into place. Kagome bit down on her lip and fumbled with her towel, her eyes batting from left to right rapidly, "I. . Uhm. . I came to borrow some.. Clothes?" She smiled shyly. "Come inside child, I will fetch ye some clothes." Kaede told her, pulling herself to her feet and walked to a back room, beyond a sliding door. Kagome stepped inside, trying not to look at the strange man as he walked away from her and tended his crate, after a few moments, the medicine seller eyed her, apparently amused, "Where is Inuyasha?"

She turned to him, her face serious and questioning, "Inuyasha? How do you-"

"Here ye are child." Kaede slide the door shut behind her as she handed Kagome a white robe top with a red, divided skirt. Miko clothing that matched Kaede's, but, more importantly, matched what Kikyo wore. Kagome looked at them and gave Kaede a smile to hide her sadness, "Thanks, Kaede, I really needed these." She said, and opened the sliding door once more, shut it, and changed into rightful clothes, as a priestess.

When she opened the door again, the medicine seller was gone.


	6. Chapter Six: Abiding Feelings

Inuyasha raced through the forest, a red blur in the sea of green trees. He cursed himself for letting Kagome walk off without following her, then cursed her for walking off, then worried that she may not have walked off on her own.

Images of a red Phoenix Demon flashed though his mind, he clenched his fists and ran faster.

He came to the village, hoping she would be there. By the looks of the villagers, he assumed he was right, he asked a group of women if they had seen Kagome, they scoffed at him, and told me she was with Kaede and that 'Strange Man.'

He hurried to her hut and tore open the curtain. Kagome sat with Kaede, an uncomfortable look on her face.

"H-Hello. ." Kagome muttered. Inuyasha was relieved to see her safe.

"What were you thinking? Walking off like that, you could have gotten hurt, or worse. ." Inuyasha trailed off, his vice low and gentle, the look in his eyes ruptured Kagome's bitterness. She wanted to tell him she was worry, she wanted to tell him how she felt, and how she got lost and so many other things, but when she opened her mouth to speak, all she could muster was "Inuyasha. . "

Hesitantly, she hoped her regret would show in her eyes, she hoped Inuyasha would see it when he looked and forgive her.

She hoped, and she feared.

Kaede had told her Kikyo was nearby, and she knew she should keep her feelings low. Kagome couldn't trust Inuyasha with her feelings when Kikyo was near, sometimes, she wondered if she could trust him with them at all.


End file.
